Marc Short, the White House director of legislative affairs, is downplaying talk the Trump administration will soon unveil a new healthcare bill to replace Obamacare, The Hill reported.

Short said there is no deal imminent for a new Republican plan. He insisted a consensus is developing "conceptually" and called reports the White House was ready to release a legislative text of an updated healthcare proposal "erroneous."

His comments came despite hopes by the conservative House Freedom Caucus and the moderate Tuesday Group it would be ready this week.

And The Washington Post said Short told reporters there was no firm timetable for action on the healthcare bill.

But, the newspaper added, Short said he has been encouraged members who were not talking directly with one another are now doing so.

"We feel like that is progress," he said.

But Heritage Action for America chief executive Michael Needham said: "It was very close a couple of days ago, but it looks like things have gone in a bad direction."

Needham blamed Republican moderates: "It's kind of stunning that in 24 hours, instead of building support for good policy, they've kind of abandoned it."